CHILE: Super 45Lainus – Montañitashttp://map.super45.cl/map-2013-05/Lainus_-_Montanitas_-_Chile.mp3
Lainus is the solo project of Alfredo Ibarra who, after returning from New Zealand, has devoted himself to writing music and rediscovering his country. The Andes is the source of inspiration for his single Montañitas (“Little Mountains”), a catchy electronic pop breeze that links him telepathically to the new pop wave (Passion Pit, Phoenix), the Chilean psychedelic tradition and the now very trendy world music. It’s a taster of his next album, due for release in the second half of the year.

FRANCE: Yet You’re FiredFAUVE – Kanéhttps://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/22109319/FAUVE%20-%20KANE%20%28France%29.mp3
FAUVE appeared from nowhere in the French music scene at the end of 2011, and after only a few months and four songs, offered for free, they became what many French critics called “the voice of our generation”. With beautifully crafted instrumentals, marvellous choirs and words that touch and speak to our feelings and soul directly – putting a finger on our many life problems and crises – they deserve to be known all over the world, even if only using spoken word in Molière’s language. Their first EP, Blizzard, is released on May 20.

GREECE: MouxlalouloudaNo Clear Mind – Morning Rain In Junehttp://map.super45.cl/map-2013-05/No_Clear_Mind_-_Morning_Rain_In_June_-_Greece.mp3
No Clear Mind is an unconventional musical experiment that has been evolving constantly from 2004 till now, an open platform of expression, bringing together people who tint everyday inertia, cancelling its discreet yet lingering nature. Borrowing its name from the old neighbourhood of Athens where it was created, Mets, their second album, is a magnificent set awash with texture, atmosphere, strong autobiographical elements, past memories and emotions that provide a hypnotic, surreal soundscape suitable for both day and night dreaming.

IRELAND: Harmless NoiseRachael Boyd – Aim Too Highhttps://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/24518457/Rachael-Boyd-Aim-Too-High.mp3
From playing in side-project math rock and pop bands to her own contemporary, improvised solo efforts, the broad strokes of Rachael Boyd’s taste in music have gifted the Belfast multi-instrumentalist with a keen grasp of melody and timing. Aim Too High is the title track of a new EP, alternative neo-classical pop with enchanting, urgent piano and strings. Freely flowing with ambition, the slight underlying jitter is calmed by a reassuring vocal intercession. It feeds the need for pop sweetness yet still sounds like substantial brainfood.

JAPAN: Make Believe MelodiesMetoronori – v_vhttps://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20197641/Metoronori%20-%20v_v%20(Japan).mp3
The boom in bedroom-based music makers in Japan over the past few years has produced a lot of great artists operating on a very DIY level. Tokyo-based Metoronori is one of the latest in this tradition. She makes discombobulated lo-fi pop where every element falls just into place. Her song v_v demonstrates this well – the sounds she makes seemingly out of step with one another, but the whole thing comes together to create an inviting track.

MEXICO: Red Bull PanamérikaApocalipsis – Jihadhttp://panamerika.fm/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/07-Jihad.mp3
It’s easy to behave in a nihilistic way when you are a Mexico City dweller. With no frills other than being raw as reality can get, Apocalipsis delivers a hybrid that borderlines on the ridge of post-rock, math-rock, hardcore and neocrust, without being too loyal to any of those. Grip zealously to the soundtrack of riots, burning flags and a society on the fringe of collapse… it’s not the Arab spring, nor the Mexican spring. Actually, it’s nothing but part of the Apocalypse.

NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!Spilt Milk – Funeral Blueshttp://www.subbacultcha.nl/files/MAP/04%20Funeral%20Blues.mp3
For an album which boasts death as its central theme, Spilt Milk’s Funeral Blues is not as morbid a listen as you may think. You may recognise the lyrics as a W.H. Auden poem, used in that harrowing funeral scene from Four Weddings And A Funeral that I’m still getting over. But thanks largely to Brenda Bosma’s beautiful vocals, the Amsterdam quintet does an impressive job of giving a soft yet jangly, folkish spin to what must be some of the saddest lyrics bouncing around.

PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico IndieIkol Santiago – Tampoco Tantohttps://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/476245/Music/MAP/ikol%20Santiago%20-%20Tampoco%20Tanto%20-%20%28Puerto%20Rico%29.mp3
Having spent his teenage years and part of his adult life living in the United States, Ikol Santiago returned to Puerto Rico in 2004 and quickly became part of the island’s underground hip hop scene. His commanding vocal style – cool yet stern, clear and precise – developed through numerous collaborations with many of the island’s greats. Ikol’s solo debut, Iguacas, named after the critically endangered Puerto Rican parrot, is a deeply personal journey through the MC’s experience growing up and trying to find his footing in life. Tampoco Tanto takes a look at our increasingly desperate society, turning anger and anxiety into something closer to wisdom – and perhaps a bit of hope.

SCOTLAND: The Pop CopPrides – Out Of The Bluehttp://thepopcop.co.uk/music/Prides-Out-Of-The-Blue.mp3
Prides are probably the most talked-about new band in Scotland since CHVRCHES. In fact, one listen to the fiendishly addictive Out Of The Blue – a staggering piece of dynamic pop that proclaims the arrival of a hit-ready proposition – proves the two groups share common ground, with Prides’ debut single informed by current trends for 80s-leaning electro. It is also reminiscent of MGMT hit Kids, with its distorted, organy synth sound.

SOUTH KOREA: Korean IndieGage – Your Nighthttp://map.super45.cl/map-2013-05/Gage_-_Your_Night_-_South_Korea.mp3
Gage is a band featuring members from heavy rock MAP alumni Apollo 18 and The Quip. A complete contrast to the music of those two groups, however, this quintet has a much more acoustic orientation, playing on current trends in Korean music while still creating an original sound. Your Night is taken from Gage’s recent self-released and self-titled EP and is a new take on the sort of melodies Apollo 18’s Kim Daeinn would create under the alias Jelly Boy.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?D.D Dumbo – Tropical Oceans
Oliver Hugh Perry is D.D Dumbo. Perry makes music from his house in Castlemaine, a small rural town 120km from Melbourne. Tropical Oceans is a perfect cue to his unique brand of technicolour lo-fi that spans genres, blues hooks, African folk – and a sound that no one else from anywhere is really making at the moment. Sometimes the best releases never receive as much credit as they deserve, and this is one of them. If music is supposed to make you feel goddamn otherworldly, 2013 is going to be a good year for D.D Dumbo.http://whothehell.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/01-Tropical-Oceans.mp3

CHILE: Super 45Motivado – Ferrer
For lack of a better label, the music of Motivado (Mario Martínez) could be classified as ‘space Latin house’. After the praise he got for Bobby Fischer, his debut EP, Motivado delivered his second EP, Stasi, just as the past year ended and it exceeds what he accomplished on his first work. Yes, this is experimental music, but extremely danceable. Ferrer is one of three tracks on Stasi EP, a free download from the Discos Pegaos netlabel.http://map.super45.cl/map-2013-01/Motivado_-_Ferrer_-_Chile.mp3

GERMANY: ColtranFraktus – Pogomania
Maybe Fraktus found the best way to jump on the bandwagon of krautrock and neo New German Wave: Say you were one of the most influential bands of that time and a founder of techno but were forgotten about; create a brilliant mockumentary in the style of This Is Spinal Tap and record a “comeback” album. Fraktus’ Millenium Edition is in both senses contemporary. The influence of producer Erobique is clearly audible: deconstruction of common patterns, reconstruction to catchy and danceable songs which oscillate between all mentioned electronic music styles.http://www.coltran.de/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Fraktus-Pogomania(Germany).mp3

IRELAND: Harmless NoisemynameisjOhn – Don’t Mind Me feat. God Knows
Irish hip hop grew steadily more promising in 2012, and not just in the densely-populated urban areas. The internet having pretty much quashed the pervading sense of isolation that separated more remote artists from sharing their work, some of the most exciting sounds came from outside Dublin. Releasing two EPs last year, producer mynameisjOhn is setting out pathways from his base in Ennis, rural County Clare. Collaborating with Shannon MC God Knows, whose delivery exacerbates the keen sense of neglect in Don’t Mind Me, with its strains of sad string samples, it fits a certain disenfranchised mood in austerity-hobbled Ireland.http://harmlessnoise.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/04-Dont-Mind-Me-ft.-God-Knows.mp3

ITALY: PolaroidPaisley Reich – Margot
Their name makes me think of a parallel universe, where history took a weird and ultrasnob turn. These young kids from Rome really know how to mix psychedelia, shoegaze and indie-pop. From Deerhunter to C86, from Syd Barrett to Captured Tracks, Paisley Reich seem to have listened to a lot of different records. I wonder what will ever stop them. Download a free EP from their Bandcamp and expect beautiful things from them in the future.http://www.polaroidallaradio.it/audio/Paisley_Reich_-_Margot.mp3

NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!Herrek – Rain
There’s an array of awesome Dutch underground bands planning to release new material in 2013 and that’s why we’re kicking off the year with an exclusive track from Herrek’s upcoming album Waktu Dulu, to be released via Snowstar Records on February 15. Herrek revolves around Gerrit van der Scheer (known as a member of the now-defunct but still legendary post-noise bands Bonne Aparte and Adept) and has seen some different incarnations over the past year. Finding inspiration in childhood years spent in a small, secluded village in Papua, Indonesia, Gerrit (pronounced Herrek by the Papuans) has now delivered a hypnotic and somewhat dark record, lamenting monsoons whilst combining tribal clapping, lulling guitars and mesmerising vocals.http://www.subbacultcha.nl/files/MAP/Herrek%20-%20Rain.mp3

POLAND: Łukasz Kuśmierz WeblogkIRk – Pies Zdechł
In kIRk’s music it’s all about the meeting of electronic and acoustic, mixing free jazz trumpet sounds, frightening beats, vocal samples and sometimes scratches, with plenty of scope for improvisation. Although the trio have been around for a decade, they are gathering praise from listeners all over the world now. Pies Zdechł is kIRk’s first single from Zła Krew, the follow-up album of the critically acclaimed Msza Święta w Brąswałdzie.http://dl.dropbox.com/u/92751456/kIRk%20-%20Pies%20Zdechl%20(Poland).mp3

SCOTLAND: The Pop CopThe LaFontaines – Light Up The Background
You can’t help but wonder if The LaFontaines would be famous by now had they been from, say, Miami and not Motherwell. Combining Kerr Okan’s rap dexterity with a surprisingly accessible rock/pop sound, the band owe much of their reputation and loyal following to their invigorating, electric live performances. Light Up The Background proves beyond doubt The LaFontaines know how to write a knockout chorus – the video, with its freerunning, is a must-see too. They are currently recording their debut album which should hopefully be out this summer.http://thepopcop.co.uk/music/The-LaFontaines-Light-Up-The-Background.mp3

Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the whole 35-track compilation through Ge.tt here.

ARGENTINA: ZonaindieValle De Muñecas – Doshttp://map.zonaindie.com.ar/ValleDeMunecas-Dos(Argentina).mp3
Dos is our favorite track from Valle De Muñecas’ third album, La Autopista Corre Del Océano Hasta El Amanecer. This is their best work to date, with 10 songs that leave behind the folk-rock vibe of their 2007 effort, Folk, and return to their original rock and ballad-driven sound. You can listen to and download the whole album for free from Bandcamp.

ENGLAND: The Guardian Music BlogAlt-J – Fitzpleasurehttp://download.guardian.co.uk/sys-audio/Music/Audio/2012/06/11/AltJFitzpleasure.mp3
This Cambridge four-piece have just released a debut album called An Awesome Wave that has received an awesome wave of glowing reviews for the band’s superb musicianship, excellent quirky songwriting and generally off-kilter approach to pop. Fitzpleasure – based on a chapter from Hubert Selby Jr’s book Last Exit To Brooklyn, so you already know this is going to be a notch or two above standard indie fare – is a typical example of what they do, in that it’s utterly unclassifiable, seemingly belonging as much to the world of dubstep as it does to folk.

ICELAND: RjóminnMúgsefjun – Sendlingur Og Sandlóahttp://rjominn.is/wp-content/static/2012/06/Sandloa-Radio-Master.mp3
Sendlingur Og Sandlóa is a song about relationships in which one partner spends long periods of time away from home. The lyrics paint a fairytale picture of a sedentary bird (the sendlingur) who’s in love with a migratory bird (the sandlóa) and the cyclic shift of emotions he goes through each year as the couple is reunited and then separated again. This song is from the highly-anticipated sophomore album from Reykjavík-based Múgsefjun.

IRELAND: Nialler9Faws – Whitneyhttp://www.nialler9.com/mp3/Faws_-_Whitney.mp3
Another to add to the growing ranks of talented Irish electronic producers, Faws has wisely chosen to remain anonymous so that the local scene would judge his music on its own merit first. But the wider world has also noticed and sites like XLR8R, Truants and Disco Naïveté have posted about his music since appearing with the downtempo Antonym EP in December 2011. New track Whitney seals the deal, slowing down Whitney Houston’s It’s Not Right But It’s Okay and shrouding the R&B track in an industrial cloud.

MALTA: Stagedive MaltaMonobrow MP – Williamhttp://www.stagedivemalta.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/MonobrowMP-William-Malta.mp3
After relative success as guitarist and vocalist in now-disbanded local band The Imagery, Lukas Grech and Jorje Bosios continued writing together. Having invested in some home studio equipment, they recorded the songs that had been written up to that point and released them individually – each with a video – over the course of a few months (2010-2011). This is the project that became Monobrow Musical Produce (MMP). The band has just released their debut album, Carpet Clown.

MEXICO: Red Bull PanamérikaMexican Institute Of Sound – Es-toyhttp://panamerika.fm/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/05-Es-toy.mp3
Mexico is living election-time turmoil. On July 1, a new president will be elected for a six-year term. Students have risen to stop an imposed candidate, from the party that ruled a smooth dictatorship from 1929-2000, and now has plans to strike back. The so called ‘Mexican Spring’ couldn’t be a better time for Camilo Lara’s Mexican Institute Of Sound to release his fourth studio album, appropriately titled Político. It’s a work full of ironic cumbia, rockabilly and tropical-tronica tunes, with a straightforward commentary on the zeitgeist of our beautiful but convulsive country.

NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!Nouveau Vélo – What To Dohttp://unfoldamsterdam.nl/music/NouveauVel-WhatToDo.mp3
“I wanna be like Marvin Gaye, sexual healing every day.” The words of What To Do don’t just call out some of this band’s more and less obvious influences (Morrissey, Josef K), they might also give you some clue as to why these boys from Helmond describe their sound as ‘healing pop’. One thing you can be sure of, though, is that you’re bound to feel better after hearing Nouveau Vélo’s sunny, reverb-heavy tunes.

SCOTLAND: The Pop CopOlympic Swimmers – Father Saidhttp://thepopcop.co.uk/music/Olympic-Swimmers-Father-Said.mp3
Olympic Swimmers’ debut album No Flags Will Fly triumphs in every path it treads, pushing exquisite, dreamy melodies through genres not typically associated with pop accessibility such as slowcore and post-rock. Star of the show is frontwoman Susie Smillie, who makes every lyric feel indispensable in her thick Scottish brogue. Here’s an exclusive free download of album opener Father Said – let it seep into your soul as it bubbles to the surface in a procession of searing crescendos.

SOUTH KOREA: Korean IndieMukimukiManmansu – Andromedahttp://map.super45.cl/map-2012-06/MukimukiManmansu_-_Andromeda_-_South_Korea.mp3
MukimukiManmansu is one of the most interesting acts in Korea right now. The two young girls dub their unique acoustic sound “supranational intelligent punk” and they scream and shout according to temper. Their debut album, 2012, came out recently and it opens with Andromeda, a perfect introduction to the awesomeness of MukimukiManmansu. The title is Korean slang for something weird, crazy or stupid – and that’s exactly what this song is in the very best way possible.

ROMANIA: Babylon NoiseLights Out! – Originhttp://dl.dropbox.com/u/12595881/map%202012/Lights%20Out%21%20-%20Origin%20%28Romania%29.mp3
Lights Out! are a bunch of high school kids from Cluj (the heart of Transylvania). In the past two years, since existing as a band, they have kept growing, managing to make a name for themselves among Romania’s alternative/indie bands. The start of this year found them in the studio, recording their first material – Patience EP – which is about to come out. With the smooth combination of psychedelia, dreamy guitars and indie sounds, topped with Teo’s amazing voice, Lights Out! could be one of the best musical products Romania has to offer.

Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the whole 38-track compilation here.

ARGENTINA: ZonaindieYataians – What A Man’s Got To Dohttp://map.zonaindie.com.ar/Yataians-WhatAMansGotToDo(Argentina).mp3
Yataians is a Buenos Aires-based band with a rocksteady sound heavily influenced by Jamaican artists from the 60s and 70s, such as The Ethiopians, The Gaylads, The Heptones and The Paragons. It’s also a product of global age, with members from France, Colombia, New Caledonia and, of course, Argentina. This song is from their first album, Ô Tulop, which came out a couple of months ago, courtesy of the independent label Estamos Felices.

BRAZIL: Meio DesligadoDJ Cremoso – Say It Ain’t Sohttp://dl.dropbox.com/u/39279408/DJ%20Cremoso%20-%20Say%20It%20Aint%20So%20(Brazil).mp3
In the film Be Kind Rewind, Jack Black and Mos Def produce their own lo-fi version of movies, which they call “sweded” versions. What DJ Cremoso makes is like that, “bregalizing” songs – turning international hits into tecnobrega rhythms (a popular style from northern Brazil). There’s almost always the same beat and silly synths are its trademark, as we can hear in this tecnobrega of Weezer’s 90s hit Say It Ain’t So. DJ Cremoso’s identity is unknown – all he has is a profile on 4shared with his remixes.

ENGLAND: The Guardian Music BlogSubmerse – Love You Downhttp://download.guardian.co.uk/sys-audio/Music/Audio/2012/03/07/SubmerseLoveYouDown.mp3
Rob Orme alias Submerse is a 23-year-old DJ and producer from Runcorn, now living in Tokyo, who happens to be making some of the most heartbreakingly beautiful (dance) music anywhere on the planet. Influenced equally by 2000-era UK garage and Japanese pop (J-pop), it combines the skittering rhythms of 2-step with sad female vocals and wan melody to make J-garage. If you thought Rustie was a maximalist, try this ADHD pop. It’s like bubblegum Burial, Orme filling every second of space with infinitesimal bursts, droplets, clicks, spasms and lovelorn cries, dubstep given a sugary coating.

FINLAND: GlueCats On Fire – A Few Empty Waveshttp://www.glue.fi/mp3/cats_on_fire_a_few_empty_waves_finland.mp3
Many argue that Cats On Fire are the best indie-pop band in Finland at the moment. This bold statement may easily be true thanks to well-crafted pop songs with a melancholic and dreamy twist, solid lyrics and distinctive vocals. This month, Cats On Fire release their third album All Blackshirts To Me. It is their best yet. So good, in fact, that the band can afford a terrific outtake like A Few Empty Waves.

GREECE: MouxlalouloudaPlayground Noise – This Worldhttp://map.super45.cl/map-2012-03/Playground_Noise_-_This_World_-_Greece.mp3
Playground Noise’s new single, Swinging Lowdown, is a delicate combination of finely arranged brooding melancholy and redemption. The two indie-pop songs infuse soaring guitars with a tense, literate sense of foreboding, adding strings and brass to strike the perfect balance between moody, underground noise and melody. They are built on restraint, tinged by poignancy and wrapped up in poetic human emotion that sticks with you long after the final note. Their sophomore album is set to be released later this year.

NETHERLANDS: Unfold AmsterdamKim Janssen – Torshttp://www.unfoldamsterdam.nl/music/kimjanssen-tors.mp3
Singer-songwriter Kim Janssen has had plenty of international experiences to date. He has recorded and performed around the world with The Black Atlantic (a previous MAP tip), he has followed his parents around Asia as a youngster, and even experienced English boarding school life. It’s the latter that most influences his lush and gentle new album Ancient Crime. He describes it as “a concept album that takes place in an old idyllic school, in a remote village in north-west England during the winter”. Like traditional folk, it’s a mixture of history, myth, memories, old and new verses. Along the way he’s aided by Marla Hansen’s Oriel Quartet and a 100-piece choir, resulting in ambitious, delightful arrangements.

SCOTLAND: The Pop CopMike Nisbet – Not Longhttp://thepopcop.co.uk/music/Mike-Nisbet-Not-Long.mp3
Originally from Oban, Mike Nisbet possesses an enchanting backstory that could give Justin Vernon a run for his money. Living a genuine nomadic existence, acoustic guitar in hand, this wandering troubadour has a Dylan-esque timeless quality to his songwriting, a voice that soothes and shatters hearts, and a gorgeous debut album, Vagrant, that could/should earn this remarkable 23-year-old talent devotees in any continent, any generation, any decade.

SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…Shelves – Star Alrighthttps://wakingupto.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/shelves-star-alright-singapore.mp3
The much-anticipated debut album by Shelves was released this month on both vinyl and digital, resurrecting not just the choicest cuts of Britpop and college rock, but the very essence of the 90s Singapore scene. Yet the record sounds anything but dated, with its clever balance of crisp melodies and generous distortion pointing the way forward for indie rock today. That vision is epitomised in Star Alright, a song that rides above the crackle and feedback to poke fun at the studded-leather ironies of pop stardom.

SPAIN: MusikornerKokoshca – La Fuerzahttp://musikorner.com/mapfiles/Kokoshca%20-%20La%20Fuerza%20(Spain).mp3
If there’s a band that can show off the creation of a hymn for those Spaniards who usually party like there’s no tomorrow, that band is Kokoshca. They are a three-piece from Pamplona and they have already released five records (some demos, a live album and EPs). Heirs of the biggest Spanish pop bands of the 60s but with an irreverent, garage spirit, Kokoshca have recently re-released their well-known single, La Fuerza, via Elefant Records, an indie-pop institution in Spain.

TURKEY: WEARTBEATThe Away Days – Dressing Roomhttp://k004.kiwi6.com/hotlink/7kolk4owdp/the_away_days_dressing_room_turkey.mp3
The Away Days carries influences from Northern music sounds and actually presents an unfamiliar style for us in this terrain, which is indie-rock. What distinguishes them from other bands in Turkey may be their desire and aim to make themselves known in Europe. While The Away Days is preparing to release their first EP in a couple of months, we can also see the band perform in various festivals during the summer. Dressing Room has an exceptional unity of quality structure, lyrics and music that can’t be ignored.

ARGENTINA: ZonaindiePablo Krantz – Et C’est Ainsi Que Tu T’en Vashttp://map.zonaindie.com.ar/PabloKrantz-EtCestAinsiQueTuTEnVas(Argentina).mp3
Pablo Krantz is a well-established musician and writer born in Buenos Aires. After making a name for himself in the local alternative scene with two great albums, he moved to Paris for several years, where he released an album in which he sings entirely in French. Démonos Cita En Una Autopista (Para Volvernos A Estrellar) is his fifth record, and the first one since he returned to Argentina. A mix between these two stages in Krantz’s career, Et C’est Ainsi Que Tu T’en Vas is a great song to start digging into his work.

BRAZIL: Meio DesligadoLise – Parece Constantinahttp://map.super45.cl/map-2011-05/Lise_-_Parece_Constantina_-_Brazil.mp3
Parece Constantina is a preview of Qualquer Frágil Fio de Fantasia, the new album from Lise, which is the side-project of multi-instrumentalist Daniel Nunes (drummer of the band Constantina, who played at this year’s SXSW). The name of the song means “sounds like Constantina”, in reference to his main band. Despite being a very experimental post-rock/electronic project, this track dialogues with hip hop through the vocals from members of Zimun and increases the musical spectrum of the genre.

CANADA: I(Heart)MusicThe Guest Bedroom – Tough Luckhttp://www.iheartmusic.net/mp3/TheGuestBedroom-ToughLuck.mp3
Buzzing guitars, thundering drums, impassioned female vocals… Sleater-Kinney and their grrrl-y ilk may be gone, but The Guest Bedroom show they’re not forgotten. For three albums now – up to their most recent, A Year’s Supply Of Rabbit’s Feet – TGB have shown that there’s plenty of life in a genre too many people thought died at the turn of the century and, as songs like Tough Luck show, they know how to make that old music sound as fresh and as vital as ever.

CHILE: Super 45Megajoy – Rainbow Dramahttp://map.super45.cl/map-2011-05/Megajoy_-_Rainbow_Drama_-_Chile.mp3
“Techno sudaka sci-fi from the information age” – that’s how Megajoy (alias for Hector Llanquín) defines his peculiar musical view. Nervous beats, insane samples and a million pop references per second are the raw materials which Megajoy works with. His debut album Avidya (self-released, 2011), available for free download on his website, is a collection of twisted dance songs with a strong sense of humor and a subversive spirit, making this record one of this year’s essentials.

ENGLAND: The Guardian Music BlogBen Howard – Empty Corridors (Live)http://download.guardian.co.uk/sys-audio/Guardian/Correspondents/2011/05/09/EmptyCorridorsLive.mp3
Male British singer-songwriters are hardly thin on the ground and yet, even given the crowded market, Ben Howard stands out. A 24-year-old Devon boy with a penchant for surfing, he’s just released an EP on the Mumford-affiliated Communion label and has signed thereafter to Island – he apparently inked the deal because of their history with Nick Drake and John Martyn. And that’s Howard all over: folk-pop with substance and class. On this, a live version of Empty Corridors, he showcases, as a recent New Band of the Day article put it, a “guitar sound that recalls Drake’s complex tunings, while every so often you expect his gently gruff tones to start warbling Martyn’s Bless The Weather”. Marvellous.

ESTONIA: PopopKali Briis – Home Alonehttp://map.super45.cl/map-2011-05/Kali_Briis_-_Home_Alone_-_Estonia.mp3
After releasing some EPs, two of them available for free here, Kali Briis is finally bringing out his full-length debut album Homewrecker on May 16. Kali doesn’t care much about borders of genres, feeling equally comfortable in R’n’B, electro, hip-hop or any other style he feels like trying. MAP exclusive Home Alone from the new album is a full-on handmade electro track featuring synths, guitars, bass and drums all played by Kali himself.

FINLAND: GlueMummypowder – A Househttp://www.glue.fi/mp3/mummypowder_a_house_finland.mp3
After a few years struggling with the precarious stability of an indie band, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Janne Lehtinen got his mummies together and this month he is finally publishing Mummypowder’s long-awaited fourth album. The first single, A House, is a melodic power-pop ballad with Janne’s vocals upfront accompanied by layers of guitars to build up an intense momentum.

GREECE: MouxlalouloudaMay Roosevelt – Dark The Nighthttp://map.super45.cl/map-2011-05/May_Roosevelt_-_Dark_The_Night_-_Greece.mp3
May Roosevelt’s sophomore, self-released album harnesses a spectrum of emotions unveiling a dark and reclusive universe defined by motion and dance. Rhythms rich with contemporary elements weaved on theremin sounds, electronic beats and synthesizers coalesce with evocative melodies drawing on Greek traditional musical heritage. Every note is considered and played with care and a sense of craft. The more you listen to it, the more it falls into place and traps you under its spell.

ISRAEL: Metal IsraelSpawn Of Evil – First Stonehttp://map.super45.cl/map-2011-05/Spawn_Of_Evil_-_First_Stone_-_Israel.mp3
Spawn Of Evil is an iconic death metal band that’s been on the Israeli scene for 13 years. Guitarist Miko Haronian describes First Stone as not “so political as it looks – more reality. Some leaders say ‘Destroy Israel’ all day long and the world is silent… so this is our answer to this – come on, try!” Spawn Of Evil mixes rambunctious gleeful energy release with quality meat and potatoes death metal. They are seeking a label for their latest album, Ecstatic Aggressive Behavior. Check them out.

MEXICO: Red Bull PanameriKaAeiou – Vivimos In L.A.http://panamerika.fm/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/07-Vivimos-in-L.A..mp3
Aeiou’s album Space Hymn is the unexpected joint venture between elfin vocalist Juan Son and Simone Pace (Blonde Redhead’s drummer), with some surprising collaborations with Kelley Deal (The Breeders) and an unnamed, mysterious character. Vivimos In L.A. (“We Live In L.A.”), reflects the city-hopping lifestyle experienced by the members: Simone has lived in Milan, Montreal, Boston and New York; while Juan, born in Guadalajara, has also had L.A. and the Big Apple as homes. Irrespective of the passports, the song and album show touches of ethereal, androgynous space-beauty.

NETHERLANDS: Unfold AmsterdamAux Raus – Oh No, It’s Them!http://www.unfoldamsterdam.nl/music/auxraus-ohnoitsthem.mp3
You can technically get away with calling this Amsterdam duo’s music ‘electro punk’, but whereas most bands courting such a label want to fuse those two elements, Aux Raus come across like a drunken punch-up between them – the wiry punk riffs and roars virtually taunting the techno and gabba-spewing drum machines. And that’s just the start of a series of contrasts which include: songs channelling equal measures of political fury and silliness; that they’re part anonymous anarcho-freaks and part leaders of style cool; and that they’re at their best wreaking havoc in a club with 300 moshing kids but can easily transfer such energy to headlining festivals. This track is from their newly released third album, All Creeping Things Stopped Creeping.

PERU: SoTBPilotocopiloto – Infantehttp://map.super45.cl/map-2011-05/Pilotocopiloto_-_Infante_-_Peru.mp3
Pilotocopiloto is an instrumental rock duo consisting of Carlos Freyre and Juan Pablo Aragon. Their music can be described as a powerful fusion of guitar and drums, with their interest in experimentation allowing them to dabble in minimalist ambient sounds and psychedelic effects. This mixture fills their instrumental songs with freshness. They recently released their self-titled debut album which is just as well because Infante definitely makes you want more.

SCOTLAND: The Pop CopWe See Lights – My Oh My Oh Myhttp://thepopcop.co.uk/music/We-See-Lights-My-Oh-My-Oh-My.mp3
Let’s see if you can guess what We See Lights sound like before you listen to them. The group hosted an event this month called The Twee Jamboree in their native Edinburgh with live music and home baking, while their new Twee Love Pop EP features a song entitled I Hope You Like The Smiths. I think you get the picture. My Oh My Oh My is by far their finest moment to date – it’s an utterly adorable anthem for the lovestruck and has some delightful banjo playing. Check out Bandcamp or iTunes for more of their music.

SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…Monster Cat – Mannequinshttps://wakingupto.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/monster-cat-mannequins-singapore.mp3
It intertwines like a ball of yarn unraveling as feline claws playfully pounce upon their five-track debut EP Mannequins. The guilty party is collectively known as Monster Cat, who at first mention do not hint at their psycho-folk-rock tendencies. Yet, as you sink deeper into their depravity, it starts to make perfect sense. Mannequins is a bold debut that bares all and holds nothing back, along with all the vulnerability of a gentle kitten. You can download their EP for free via their website during the month of May and pledge your allegiance.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROKParyumchiakdan – A Night Of Winehttp://map.super45.cl/map-2011-05/Paryumchiakdan_-_A_Night_of_Wine_-_South_Korea.mp3
Paryumchiakdan, which translates as “The Infamous Orchestra”, was formed three years ago with the vision of making music based on 70s punk-rock with an East Asian pop sound, playing it as if they were a 60s garage rock band. The sound has changed a bit since, but the members still cite GO!GO!7188 and Korean psychedelic musicians of the 70s such as Kim Jung Mi as influences. The band recently self-released their first EP, A Night Of Wine, and the title track has an awesome modern retro sound that invites foot-tapping.

SPAIN: MusikornerEl Estudiante Larry – Mejor Que Yohttp://musikorner.com/mapfiles/El%20Estudiante%20Larry%20-%20Mejor%20que%20yo%20(Spain).mp3
Formed in Murcia, a city renowned for its hot indie music scene, El Estudiante Larry is frontman Larry Sandoval and fellow musicians Víctor, Seka and Porras. After releasing three CD-Rs (available for free download), they collaborated with #Fo – side-project of Klaus & Kinski’s Álex Martínez – to release a split EP, Gulag Split, which can be downloaded for free on Bandcamp. El Estudiante Larry songs can be made from psychedelic beats, a classic indie sound or even a Nashville rock taste, which is the case with Mejor Que Yo, the last but not least track on the EP.

SWEDEN: SwedespleaseMasquer – Happinesshttp://swedesplease.net/music/Happiness.mp3
Super lo-fi indie-rock that reminds one of 1/3 Cure, 1/3 Siouxsie Sioux and 1/3 Madonna. Count me in! Masquer is the new side-project of Kiki from Lowood/Idora and Pelle of Idora. The new song is called Happiness and continues to play to the band’s strengths – mainly its 80s retro indie-rock sound and the spellbinding vocals of Kiki. Lyrically, its anti-establishment lyrics and chorus of “I’ll never conform” would be a perfect addition to the soundtracks of any John Hughes films from that period.

UNITED STATES: I Guess I’m FloatingAuditorium – Sundayhttp://www.iguessimfloating.net/assets/mp3s/02%20Sunday.mp3
Auditorium (formerly Field) is the work of Spencer Berger, whose debut album Be Brave was released in January. Berger specializes in ‘glam-folk’, whereby theatrical, multi-layered vocal harmonies shine throughout the album, telling stories of love, nature, cities and people in a remarkably engaging way. Auditorium is beginning to make waves in LA and beyond – get on board now before your friends are barking at you about it in a few months.

CANADA: I(Heart)MusicDora Alexander – Travelershttp://www.iheartmusic.net/mp3/DoraAlexander-Travelers.mp3
Yes, Dora Alexander sound just like a version of Radiohead that ceased to exist somewhere between The Bends and OK Computer. But you know what? It’s been about a decade and a half since then, so it’s probably safe for someone else to claim that sound. And, as Travelers – both this song and their debut EP of the same name – demonstrates, Dora Alexander are ready to pick up that mantle. Here’s hoping they stick with it a little longer than the originators.

CHILE: Super 45DeMentira – Post-Tbchttp://map.super45.cl/map-2011-04/DeMentira_-_Post_TBC_-_Chile.mp3
Ariel Altamirano, the DJ and producer better known as DeMentira, is the founder of Chilean netlabel Discos Pegaos, specializing in electronic music and abstract beats. The label was responsible for debut albums by Vaskular and Motivado as well the release of Chinpancé EP, first solo effort from DeMentira since his introduction as producer and rapper for the trio Iris in 2006. Post-Tbc is the first single from Chinpancé EP where we find mysterious beats, not dissimilar to dubstep, as well the experimental nature of the wonky sound.

ENGLAND: The Guardian Music BlogHoly Other – Touchhttp://download.guardian.co.uk/sys-audio/Music/Audio/2011/04/06/Touch.mp3
A nameless character who works variously in Berlin, Gothenburg and Manchester, Holy Other is a British musician who, like his US counterpart How To Dress Well, has a penchant for taking contemporary R&B and draining it of all passion and all its sexual signifiers. What you’re left with is music like Touch: slow, drifting electronica, marked by glitches, with an almost church-like atmosphere that has led some to describe it as “ambient goth”, an affecting mix of spectral sonics and ghostly vocals, as un-earthy as it is unearthly.

FINLAND: GlueNT’s White Trash – Whistlehttp://www.glue.fi/mp3/nt_white_trash_whistle.mp3
The most recognizable Brit in Finnish indie, Nick Triani, put together NT’s White Trash with the aim of making some noise, which is captured in the band’s debut Mourning Becomes Electric due in May. Whistle is a catchy two-and-a-half minute guitar-pop song, with an uplifting… well, whistling. It is a smooth exception on an album that promises some edgier sounds.

FRANCE: Yet You’re FiredThomas Kieffer – Summertimehttp://dl.dropbox.com/u/22109319/Thomas%20Kieffer%20-%20Summertime%20%28France%29.mp3
Thomas Kieffer is a talented songwriter, offspring of the Strasbourg rock scene. At 15 years old, he was hugely impressed by bands such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple and started playing in different bands. Today, at 35, his resumé is very impressive: he has opened for legendary artists such as Canned Heat, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Gary Moore, NOFX and Scorpions. He started a solo career two years ago, giving up on hard rock and metal, and should succeed with it and his album Beautiful Hands.

GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda2L8 – Don’t Follow Mehttp://map.super45.cl/map-2011-04/2L8_-_Dont_Follow_Me_-_Greece.mp3
2L8’s music lurches deftly between emotional intimacy, ambition and experimentation. Their two well-received previous releases (download them for free here) proved they are one of the most creative and compelling acts in the musical underground. They are running a campaign on Pledge Music to help them unleash their forthcoming double album, New Battles, Without Honor And Humanity. The magnificent Don’t Follow Me, a Music Alliance Pact exclusive, drips with melancholy. It blends warmth and brooding, existential contemplation with a repetitive but mesmerizing acoustic guitar melody full of subtlety and distinct sonic accents, and swims in gorgeous sheets of trembling, passionate vocals.

ICELAND: Icelandic Music MaffiaSkálmöld – Kvaðninghttp://map.super45.cl/map-2011-04/Skalmold_-_Kvaoning_-_Iceland.mp3
Skálmöld is a metal band formed in August 2009. The six members had been formerly active in other bands, not all metal. Their music can be described as powerful, melodic and epic Viking metal, along with various folk influences. The lyrics follow the strict rules of traditional Icelandic poetry. Kvaðning is featured on last year’s debut record Baldur, a concept album telling the epic and dramatic tale of the viking Baldur.

IRELAND: Nialler9SertOne – Past Present Futurehttp://www.nialler9.com/mp3/SertOne_Past_Present_Future_IRELAND.mp3
Reminscent of RJD2, J Dilla and all those fine beat maestros that no doubt inspired him, Liverpool via Portadown’s SertOne aka 21-year-old Gareth McAlinden is certainly a producer to watch. This tune contains a unique Belfast sample, twisted brass and a head-nodding beat that makes you sit up and take notice. You can find it on the recent seven-track The View From Above EP through Melted Music.

ISRAEL: Metal IsraelGevolt – Bay Mir Bistu Sheynhttp://map.super45.cl/map-2011-04/Gevolt_-_Bay_Mir_Bistu_Sheyn_-_Israel.mp3
Yiddish metal pioneers Gevolt took this 1932 Yiddish musical track (that incidentally was a big hit in Nazi Germany until they figured out it was Yiddish) and made glorious metal out of it. Their sound resembles a happy-go-lucky Rammstein/Linkin Park hybrid with violins. But since a lot of their songs are versions of the old ones my grandmothers sing, they have an unmatched nostalgic beauty. Download their second album Alef Base for free while you still can at their site.

MEXICO: Red Bull PanameriKaToy Selectah – No Pasma feat. Isa GThttp://panamerika.fm/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/No-Pasma-FeaT-Isa-GT.mp3
In the last decade, Cumbia has become the ‘lingua franca’ to fill Latin-oriented dancefloors worldwide. Its saucy rhythms and nasty grooves easily adapt to many other musical forms: from techno to reggae, passing through favela-funk or dubstep. With a career spanning 15 years (and dreadlocks nearly that long), Toy Selectah has earned respect as a Cumbia-lord, trading the genre and cross-pollinating it with his constant travels and after-hours gigs. His Mex Machine EP out on Diplo’s Mad Decent label is an infectious state of affairs. On No Pasma, the Colombia-born, London-dwelling singer Isa GT throws some cocksure chants on a perfect groundshaking Cumbia.

NETHERLANDS: Unfold AmsterdamDeath Letters – Your Heart Is Upside Downhttp://www.unfoldamsterdam.nl/music/deathletters-yourheartupsidedown.mp3
It’s nice to see a bit of international buzz building for a young Dutch band. This duo aren’t even legal to enjoy a good piss-up in Texas, which is where they headed last year to record an album with Chris ‘Frenchie’ Smith (Jet, The Dandy Warhols, Smog) and where they returned to for SXSW last month. The resulting album, Post-Historic, isn’t the band’s first effort but it’s markedly different from their self-titled debut. Here they leave behind their original blues-rock trappings and fire through Glassjaw post-hardcore, Biffy Clyro post-grunge and …Trail Of Dead post-rock ‘n’ roll. That may be a lot of ‘posts’ but they make an incredibly energetic yet refined racket on stage.

NORWAY: Birds Sometimes DanceBeatbully – Bølleboogiehttp://birdssometimesdance.com/wp-content/uploads/Beatbully_-_Bølleboogie_-_Norway.mp3
Beatbully is an offspring of the Norwegian skweee label Dødpop. Skweee is a genre of Nordic heritage, based on classic hip hop beats with heavy influence of modern electronica. Although mainly composed for a live audience, Beatbully invites skweee to your living room as well. This winter, he released Kosmisk Regn (“Cosmic Rain”), the first solo album in Dødpop’s history. Bølleboogie has an irresistible beat that leaves no one behind on the dancefloor, and the juicy melody won’t release you till its over. It’s a three-minute piece of bliss that will make even your grandmother dance.

PERU: SoTBKuraka – Fuego Negrohttp://map.super45.cl/map-2011-04/Kuraka_-_Fuego_Negro_-_Peru.mp3
Kuraka is a rock group that spawned from the collaboration of renowned musicians of local bands such as Emergency Blanket, Zen, M.A.S.A.C.R.E. and Inyectores. The diversity of styles seemed an obstacle to assemble their ideas, but the bonds of friendship led to them making something interesting. In 2009, they released a few singles that whetted the appetite for their debut album Fuego Negro, which came out in August 2010 on Mundane Records. Take a listen to the great song that gives the album its name.